title: Etiology and outcome of hydrops fetalis: report of 62 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to define the etiologic and prognostic factors in live-born infants with hydrops fetalis (HF) in our tertiary neonatal intensive care unit over a 10-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medical records of newborn infants with HF during 2002-2011 were reviewed retrospectively. Demographic data, prenatal interventions, clinical and laboratory findings, outcomes, and the results of postmortem examinations were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study period, 62 newborn infants with HF were identified from 16,200 live-born deliveries and the incidence of HF was 3.8/1000 live births in our hospital. Twenty-eight infants (45.2%) had immune HF, whereas 34 (54.8%) had nonimmune HF. An etiologic factor could be identified in 24 (70.5%) infants with nonimmune HF. Lymphatic dysplasias comprised the majority (23.5%) of the infants with nonimmune HF. Mortality rate was 50%. The presence of two or more serous cavity effusions and gestational age were independently associated with the risk of mortality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite the improvements in neonatal care, mortality rate in infants with HF is still high. Gestational age and the extent of serous cavity determine the risk of mortality. Timely and advanced prenatal or postnatal new therapeutic strategies may alter this fatal outcome in appropriate patients.
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University Ihsan Dogramaci Childrens' Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address: stakci@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sahin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takci
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University Ihsan Dogramaci Childrens' Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gharibzadeh
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University Ihsan Dogramaci Childrens' Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yurdakok
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University Ihsan Dogramaci Childrens' Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ozgur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozyuncu
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University Ihsan Dogramaci Childrens' Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayse
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Korkmaz
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University Ihsan Dogramaci Childrens' Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Zuhal
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Akcoren
authors.affiliation: Hacettepe University Ihsan Dogramaci Childrens' Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sule
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yigit
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D015160:Hydrops Fetalis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: etiology; hydrops fetalis; outcome